Folding decoy



(No Model.)

-J ROSS. FOLDING DBGOY.

Patented Oct. 1,1895.

IINTTED STATES PATENT Ormes.

JOSEPH ROSS, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-I-IALF TO SETI-IOURLIN, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING DECOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 547,032, dated October1, 1895.

Application led February 6,'1895. Serial No. 537,524.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ROSS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingDecoys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in foldable decoys and analogouscollapsible articles of that class which are adjusted for servicemechanically as distinguished from an iniatable decoy; and the objectthat I have in view is to provide means whereby the decoy can bedistended or adjusted for use by the single movement of an adjuster,and, further, to provide a simple and durable construction which can bemanufactured cheaply.

With these ends in View my invention consists in making the decoy of asuitable pliable material, and having stiifeners or braces united tosaid material to give the body, head, and neck the proper appearance orshape, combined with a bottom or lioat to which the body is united orfastened, and an adjuster supported on the float within the body andarranged to contact with the body to raise or distend the latter, thehead, and neck into position for use.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I make the body of the decoyof textile fabric and strengthen the back, neck, and head by metallicbraces, which are arranged to give to the body, back, and head thedesired form or shape. The fabric decoy is fas` tened or united in asuitable way to the float, and on this float, within the decoy, isarranged the adjuster. This adjuster preferably consists of a bailarranged across the iioat and journaled or pivoted thereon, and saidbail has a crank which limits its upward movement and is furthermoreprovided with an operating-crank that extends outside of the decoy-body,so as to be accessible for the purpose of operating said adjuster-baileither to distend the body or to allow it to collapse.

The invention further consists in the construction and combination ofparts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to readily understand my invention, I have illustratedthe preferred embodiment of it in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which- Figure l is an elevation of mycollapsible article embodied as a decoy-duck. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalcentral sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transversesectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a view of the bracing for the body, neck, and head of thedecoy-body. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the bail-adjuster. Fig. 6 showsby perspective and sectional views details of the sheath for uniting thestiffening-wires to the fabric forming the collapsible body.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings, referring to which- A designates the bottom board,which serves as the Iioat when the article is used as a decoy.

B is the bail-like adjuster, and C is the body of the article.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings I haveillustrated it and will hereinafter describe it as adapted for a decoy 5but I would have it understood that I do not strictly limit the use ofthe invention to decoys,beoause I am aware that the collapsible articlemay be used for other purposes.

The bottom board A is shaped according to the configuration it isdesired to give to the collapsible article, and in the drawing of thedecoy the ends and sides of the board are made rounding to conform tothe breast and tail of the decoy. The body C of the decoy is made ofpliable material, either of textile fabric or other material suitablefor the purpose, and to the body is united the neck c and head c of thedecoy. The material forming the neck and head is properly cut to thedesired pattern in two or more pieces and suitably united to the piecesof material of which the body C is made, and the lower edges of the bodymaterial are folded down over the sides of the bottomA and beneath thelower surface of said bottom in a neat manner, said lower edges of thebody material being fastened to the bottom A in a suitable manner. Ihave shown the body material tacked to the lower face of the bottom A;but it is evident that IOO other fastenings can be used withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

In order to give to the body C, the neck, and head of the decoy theproper shape when it is distended and also to impart sufficient strengththereto to resist and stand the pressure of the adjuster-bail B, Istilfen the pliable body by means of the braces. (Shown more clearly byFigli.) I use a series of these braces, preferably made of wire. Themiddle braceE is bent to provide the two strands e e, which extendparallel to each other along the middle part of the back, and thesestrands of the middle brace-wire E are extended upward and forwardthrough the neck and head c c of the decoy to impart the desiredappearance and stiffness to the head and neck of the decoy. Thisextension e of the middle braee-wire E is bent to conform to the shapeof the neck and head, and to strengthen the parts e e of the wire at thepoints where the wire is curved or deflected from the body into the neckI twist the two strands of wire together at e to produce a stiff shank.The parallel strands e e of the middle brace-wire E are carried rearwarda suitable distance aiong the back of the decoy, and the rear eX-tremities of the strands e e are united or twisted together. In additionto the middle brace-wire I use the series of wires indicated at F G H I,which are arranged outside of the middle brace-wire E and liesubstantially parallel therewith and with each other, as shown. Eachbrace-wire is made of a single piece bent to form strands extendinglongitudinally of the decoy and curved at the front part thereof. Thusthe brace-wire F, next to the middle wire E, has the frontfthereofcurved around the fabric at the base part of the neck. Its longitudinalstrands are carried alongside the strands e a suitable distance, and itsends are brought together between the strands e, as shown. The otherbrace-wires G H I are disposed similarly to the wire F with their frontcurved portions to stiffen the breast of the decoy and their sidestrands to stiifen the sides or back of the fabric forming the de-Coy-body.

To prevent the wires from abrading or cutting the fabric material and toprovide a convenient method of uniting the wires and decoy fabrictogether, I have provided the sheaths J, one of which incloses each wireand is adapted to be stitched or otherwise united to the fabric formingthe decoy-body. The sheath preferably consists of a strip of fabric orother suitable material, which is folded around the stiening-wire andits lapped edges laid against the inside face of the fabric forming thedecoy-body, said edges of the sheath being stitched to the decoy fabricduring the process of making the body and before it is assembled withthe bottom and bail to form the complete article. The body, neck, andhead of the decoy may be treated in any suitable way to render itwaterproof, and it is painted or finished, as desired, in imitation of afowl, tbc.

The adjuster B is preferably made in the form of a bail or loop and froma single piece of wire. The bail has its ends bent to form the journalsb b', which are fitted in the staple-like bearings aa, provided on thebottom A, near the sides thereof, so that the bail is arrangedtransversely across the bottom and body of the decoy. One of thejournals b of the bail is further bent to provide the crankstop 7c,which is adapted when the bail is lifted to bear upon the bottom A andthereby limit and arrest the upward movement of the bail when it isturned up to distend the body. The other journal b of the bail isextended and bent to provide the crank-handlel, which extends throughthe body fabric and beyond the edge of the bottom, so that thecrankhandle is readily accessible at all times for operating the bail.

With the decoy I have combined an anchor L, the line of which is adaptedto be compactly wound or coiled upon a stem m, attached to the rear edgeof the float A below the tail of the decoy-body. The anchor-line 'n iscarried from this stem along the bottom of the decoy, thence passedthrough a staplelike guide n', fastened to the bottom Aat the breast ofthe decoy, and to the free end of this line is fastened the anchor L, asshown by Fig. 1.

The adjusterbail B is adapted to be turned down to lie fiat upon thebottom A, and the body can then be folded down compactly upon thebottom, the head and neck, however, being raised up somewhat. To adjustthe decoy for service it is only necessary to grasp the crank-handle land turn the bail up, thereby bringing the bail to press against thebraced back of the body and lifting the body, head, and neck to theirdistended positions at one adjustment ot' the bail. vWhen lifted, thebail assumes a slightly inclined position, because the crank-stop is soformed that the bail can be moved to a position slightly beyond thevertical line of the bearings, which pivotally connect the bail to thebottom, and as the stiened fiexible decoy-body affords considerableresistance and pressure on the bail when the parts are distended thebail is practically locked in place when it is raised to distend thedecoy.

As shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, the sheath J is extended along themiddle brace E up into the neck of the decoy-body, andthe pieces of thissheath are passed and folded between the strands of the brace E andinclose the twisted shank c of the brace E, said ends of the sheathbeing united together or to the fabric decoy-body by stitching or in anysuitable way. By this arrangement of the sheath the twisted uprightshank of the middle brace is prevented from rubbing the decoy fabric andthe sheath on the middle brace will not be displaced and loosened by IOOIIO

IIS

the adj uster-bail rubbing thereon when turning the bail to distend orcollapse the decoy.

Although I have described the braces for the decoy-body as madepreferably of wire, yet I do not limit myself to the use of thismaterial, because the braces may be made of rattan, willow, whalebone,or any other material suitable for the purpose; nor do I limit myself tothe peculiar form and arrangement of the longitudinal braces, nor to thedetails of construction and form and proportion of parts herein shownand described as the preferred embodiment of my invention, because I amaware that changes and alterations therein can be made by a skilledmechanic Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantagesof my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a collapsible article, the combination with a bottom, of a pliablebody attached thereto, and an adjuster supported on the bottom andarranged within the body, to be brought into contact therewith when saidadjuster is raised and thereby distend the body, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

2. In a collapsible article, the combination with a bottom, of anadjuster pivotally mounted on the bottom, and a collapsible bodyconnected to said bottom and arranged .to be lifted or distended by saidadjuster, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A collapsible article comprising a body of pliable material havingthe stiffening braces, and a pivoted adjuster disconnected from the bodyand arranged transversely within the same, to press against and distendthe body, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The collapsible body made of pliable material and having thestiifening braces attached thereto, combined with a bottom, and anadjuster to distend the body, substantially as described.

5. A decoy having its neck and head stiffened by a metallic brace, andprovided with a series of stiffener braces along the body thereof,combined with a bottom to which the 5o body is fastened, and an adjustersupported by the body in position to press and distend the body,substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a decoy, the pliable material forming the head, neck and body, themiddle brace E extending along the body and into the neck and head, andthe series of braces united to the body, combined with a bottom to whichthe material is fastened, and a transverse adjuster movably supported onthe bottom, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a collapsible body, of an adjuster bailpivotally supported within the body and at its base and arranged topress against the body, for the purpose of holding the same in itsdistended position, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a collapsible body, and a bottom, of an adjusterbail pivoted to the bottom within said body and provided with a crankstop for limiting the upward movement of said bail, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

9. A collapsible article having its body made of suitable pliablematerial, stiffening braces, and sheaths which inclose the braces andunited to the pliable material, combined with a bottom, and an adjusterarranged within the body, for the purposes described, substantially asset forth.

lO. A collapsible decoy having its body, neck and head composed ofpliable material, the brace E formed with the upright shank, the seriesof braces arranged longitudinally of the body and around the breastthereof, and the sheaths, J, which inclose the braces and are united tothe pliable material of the body, combined with a suitable bottom, andan adjuster to distend the body, as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH ROSS. Witnesses:

J. H. Ross, C. B. GUTHRIE.

